KAPKAR/DW-F370
study sea observatory
Delfland, Monster, NL

The ‘sea observatory KAPKAR/DW-F370′ has been designed for an area of sand dunes along the coast of the Netherlands. The concrete and azobé building is a self-powered vessel which slowly traces the sand-formed hills, mimicking the movement of the tides. the two story structure is outfitted with tracks which imprint a message as the piece moves, yet this tire-drawn note only lasts for a short time before the ocean sweeps it away. inside the observatory, the sea is only visible through a horizontal slit, the roof and railing blocking the lower views, leaving only a vast panorama of the water and sky. The visual concept is a combination of the heavy machinery used to strengthen the coastal defense between the hidden German bunkers, Hoek van Holland and Den Haag, and the industrial landscape of the dunes near the port of Rotterdam.